The present invention relates to an apparatus for conveying material, and more particularly to an apparatus for conveying material by propelling a carrier member along a tube between terminals and automatically manipulating the carrier member at the terminals for receiving and discharging material.
There are numerous prior art conveying systems that operate to propel a carrier member through a tube, many of which use pneumatic propulsion. For example, systems of this type are used by financial institutions for handling transactions between outside customers in automobiles and inside tellers. However, such systems utilize complex or multiple propulsion means and require attendants for operation, not being automatic as would be desired in many material conveying applications.
One application that the prior systems are not satisfactorily adaptable to is the automatic delivery of mail, newspapers, packages or other similar articles from an exterior receiving terminal, such as a mailbox location, to a delivery terminal inside a residence or other type of building, where the presence of an attendant is not practical or is inefficient. There are other applications wherein unattended automatic operation would be desirable and to which the prior art systems are not adaptable.